Solar Generation Surpasses Coal in Texas ERCOT Grid
SkimNews Take
Texas's grid reliability, traditionally a concern with intermittent renewables, is increasingly decoupled from specific generation sources as battery storage scales up.
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- Solar generation will outpace coal generation in Texas' ERCOT market for the first time ever this year.
- U.S. Energy Information Administration expects ERCOT to receive 78 billion kWh from solar in 2026, compared with only 60 billion kWh from coal.
- ERCOT recorded solar output exceeding coal from March through August last year and projects the same monthly advantage from March through December this year.
- Ember reports that nationwide wind and solar generation surpassed coal in 2024.
- Texas's ERCOT market has added tens of gigawatts of new solar and battery capacity, preserving grid reliability despite the decline in coal.
Why it matters: Texas utilities and consumers gain cheaper, cleaner power as solar adds 78 billion kWh in 2026, while coal plants lose revenue and face accelerated retirements, reducing emissions and easing grid strain during heat waves.
